The Best Form of Government: Ancient and Moderns

What do we consider the best form of government to be? 'A democracy' will probably be the usual response; but is that necessarily so? Our speakers will consider and discuss these and other questions. Bob Milns will describe how the ancient Greeks invented both democracy and the study of political systems in order to define the best 'Constitution' or government. He will consider how those thinkers viewed democracy and where it fitted into their thinking. Moving forward in time, Roger Scott will focus on political behaviour in a democracy, drawing on Machiavelli – the first modern political theorist – and his relevance to the contemporary scene in Australia.